


Running Rings Around Saturn

by McKayRulez



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: 5 Things, Anxiety, Communication Failure, Dating, Engagement, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings, Nervousness, Rings, Wedding Rings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 10:59:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18497554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKayRulez/pseuds/McKayRulez
Summary: All John wants to do is propose marriage to his nerdy boyfriend, Rodney McKay. Why is this so difficult?





	Running Rings Around Saturn

After years of waiting for the law to pass, it happened, and John was ready to take the next step. Tonight was the night. He was finally going to do it. He was going to ask Rodney to marry him. 

John tapped nervously on his beer. His palms were sweaty and his heartbeat was loud in his ears. They were watching some cheesy sci-fi movie that had made McKay all worked up and annoyed at their poor science and exaggerated technobabble that made no sense. John had picked the movie specifically, expecting Rodney would be more put off of the movie and more interested in John instead. Unfortunately however, it had the effect of one of those car crashes that you just can’t look away from, so his blue eyes never left the screen.

Sheppard kept glancing at McKay, waiting for him to finish his beer, which he hadn't even lifted once to his lips yet the entire date. John had placed the ring in the bottom of Rodney's glass, hoping to surprise him. Some stupid romantic gesture that was in one of those nerdy Spider-Man movies, McKay loved so much. He thought it was just the dorky thing to do to win over his geek’s heart. 

However, Rodney's attention was so transfixed to the screen, that John was worried whenever Rodney would finally drink his beer, he might swallow the damn thing or choke on it, and that wouldn't be romantic at all. 

He could imagine giving McKay the heimlich maneuver before he choked to death, the ring jutting out onto the floor, and John picking up the saliva covered thing and saying something along the lines of ‘well, if you say yes, it’s til death do us part, right?’ Yeah... John was fully mentally berating himself for the stupid idea now.

By the time the movie ended, Rodney leaned over, and kissed him. Trailing a hand across his cheek and his other hand up into his hair. John wondered if now was the time. Rodney wasn’t distracted now, the night could still be saved. 

Suddenly, Rodney pulled back with a weird grossed out expression. 

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

McKay looked him over concerned and suspicious. “You’re all cold and clammy!” He rubbed off his slant mouth with his sleeve. “You better not be sick, because if your sick there’s a good chance you just got me sick and I don’t want to get sick!” 

“I’m fine.” John winced as his voice cracked. 

Rodney frowned and grabbed the sides of his head looking him over. “Maybe we should get you checked out?” 

John leaned back out of his boyfriend’s concerned grip, as casually as he could even though his nerves were on high alert. “I’m not sick.” 

Rodney looked unconvinced. “Then why are you all sweaty?” 

John looked at the untouched beer and cleared his throat. “You didn’t drink anything?” 

“What?” McKay blinked, his mind suddenly off track. “I have work tomorrow, besides, some of us don’t want to purposefully lose brain cells.. Wait a-, Hey! Don’t change the subject!” Rodney huffed. “Typical.” He then got up stretching. “Well, now I have to go take some immunity boosters, thanks to you and your man flu.” Rodney eyed him scornfully then after a few seconds his eyes softened, and he quickly leaned down and gave Sheppard a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for the date.” He ran a hand under John’s jaw, and saddened look in his eyes. “Feel better okay?” 

He watched McKay leave, then fell back against the couch and groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

\--

Second time's the charm, John told himself. 

A few nights later, when McKay was finally convinced John was in fact, not ill, he invited McKay back over for a makeout session. 

Rodney was currently snaking his tongue into his mouth, so his mind and plans started to go blank, as he brought his hand behind McKay’s head for better support. 

It took a few minutes for John’s mind to reboot, when he caught sight of the abandoned glass behind Rodney, in his peripherals. Maybe there was still a chance to pull this off. John took his hand from Rodney’s hair and reached out for the glass. 

Suddenly, Rodney pulled back and raised a finger for John to pause. 

“What?” John asked with a shaky voice, pulling his hand quickly back like he had been caught red headed doing something wrong. 

“Zelenka.” Rodney mouthed and tilted his head, pointing to his ear piece. 

“They did what?” Rodney clipped with annoyance. He ground his teeth. “This is why we have sticky notes that say ‘Don’t Touch!’ What, did they think it was just a suggestion?” He growled. 

John watched as McKay fumed. No wonder he yells at his staff often. When the conversation ended Rodney was already pushing himself off Sheppard. 

“Turns out Woolsey hired idiot moneys, who just think their scientists.” He jutted a thumb to his door. “I gotta go clean up their mess.”

John nodded, reluctantly. His heart hurt, but he knew Rodney had a job to do to protect their people. “Go.” 

Rodney gave a sad smile and a quick kiss. 

\--

Okay.. Maybe third time’s the charm? 

For the past few weeks, John kept begging McKay to come over, but Rodney didn’t have the time for anymore private visits. Turns out the job of a head Scientist was a busy and active one. 

The weeks alone were maddening for John. He also may have been coming across as a little too pathetic and desperate for McKay, whenever he stopped by the lab at least twenty-seven times each day, but he couldn’t help it. Being lonely was one thing, being both alone and on constant edge, full of nerves, was a completely other thing entirely and he hated it. 

As he laid on his bed staring at the ceiling, a crazy idea popped into his head. 

If McKay was always busy fixing things… 

Maybe John would just have to break something to get some one on one time… 

John got the ring and went over to his sink. He opened the cabinet below and kicked at one of the pipes until it broke one off. He then let the water run a bit creating a puddle then turned it off and placed the ring inside the edge of the exposed pipe. 

John tapped his radio. “McKay?” 

“Yeah?” Came a grumpy, sleep deprived response. 

“Can you come over?” 

Rodney’s eyes darkened. “What now?” 

McKay was too tired to deal with Sheppard’s personal requests right now, and in his opinion, Sheppard had been a bit too demanding lately to have him over, despite knowing how hectic his schedule was. The insensitivity the past few weeks were started to annoy him.. Or maybe it was because he hadn’t slept in two weeks, not to mention he was hungry.. And he was always cranky when he was hungry. Either way, everything bad was culminating, so right now everyone was getting his wrath for their collective incompetence. 

“I need some help.” 

“If that help is for your dick again, use your own hand.” He snapped. 

Sheppard bit his lip. Okay… Maybe now wasn’t the best time.. “Nevermind..” 

“That’s what I thought.” Rodney abruptly ended the call, and John looked over at his now broken sink dismayed. 

Tomorrow. He’ll ask tomorrow.. Maybe then he’d be in a better mood…… 

He wasn’t. 

\--

The fourth time, John tapped his radio, Rodney answered with a huffed, “What, now?” 

“My sinks broken.” 

“Your… What?” 

“Pipe’s busted… Can you fix it?” 

Rodney sighed and rubbed his temple. He did not have time for this. 

John waited anxiously at the door. He leaned side to side as he waited and played with his hands. 

Suddenly, the door chimed and John took a relieved deep breath as he opened it. “Oh thank-” He stopped when he looked up. “Kavanagh?.. What are you doing here?” 

The scientist gave him an annoyed look, then stalked past him with a tool box. “McKay said you burst a pipe?” 

“Oh, uh.. Yeah…” 

Kavanagh squatted down in front of the sink, looking at the damage distastefully. He stared at the bent and broken metal. He looked up at Sheppard accusatory, with a harsh glare behind his spectacles. “This wasn’t burst, this was kicked in!” 

“Oh.”

Sheppard rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I uh… Slipped and.. Fell?” He tried and failed. 

“I can’t believe it. Dr. Kusanagi was right. You were just looking for a booty call.. Damn, she won the bet..” 

“What! No I-” 

Before John could say anything else, Kavanagh shoved the toolbox against his chest. “You broke it. Fix it yourself. I have better things to do with my time.”

\--

After the past failures, John decided to wait a few months, until Rodney had a proper good sleep and was no longer being a hypochondriac about his motives. 

In fact, John had been so chill and trying to take things in the moment, that he hadn't even been the one to ask McKay out this time. Rodney asked him to view an eclipse together of one of the planet’s moons. 

The two sat on blankets, on the pier, gazing up into the night sky. 

“Did you know..” Rodney began quietly, as his astrophysicist mind began to wander through the view of the stars above. “The rings of Saturn slowly disappear from view on Earth, depending on its orbit.. That’s sad, isn’t it?” He frowned. 

“Yeah..” Sheppard felt the sharp edges of his own ring box in his pocket. “That is sad.” He looked over to Rodney and saw him shivering and looking a little off. The cold chill must have been getting to him. John brought an arm around his shoulders, trying to share heat. “So.. When’s this eclipse suppose to happen?” 

Rodney looked down for a few moment, then looked up at John, “Right now, look!” 

John looked up and squinted. “I don’t see anything?” 

“No, you need to use this.” Rodney handed him a pair of binoculars. 

“Right, thanks.” John brought them up to his eyes and frowned with the view of the moon had a strange circle jiggling loosely against a piece of tape over the other side of the viewfinder. “Uh.. Mckay? I think it’s broken?” John turned the binoculars over and stared at the bottom stunned. 

“I..” Rodney flushed. “Kinda lied about the eclipse.. But I hope this is good enough?” 

“You’re kidding me.” 

Rodney paled, biting his lip at John’s response. He lowered his head. “Too soon?” He asked dejected. 

John carefully peeled off the tape holding the ring on the lens. He stared at it a loss for words. After a few moments, he then looked to Rodney and noticed how scared he looked at his silence, and his heart broke. “Oh, no.” 

“No?” Rodney looked about ready to cry. 

John quickly raised his hands and the ring. “No, no, I meant ‘No not too soon at all’!” 

Rodney looked uneasy as a couple tears escaped his eyes. “Really?” 

John let out a chuckle and gripped Rodney, kissing away his tears. He pulled back grinning. “Really.” 

“So?” Rodney smiled, and tilted his head gazing at him. 

“Yes.” John smiled. “I will marry you.”


End file.
